CN111448824A

CN111448824A - System and method for reporting beam information

Info

Publication number: CN111448824A
Application number: CN201880070996.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 权荣训; 夏鹏飞; 刘斌
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-11-10
Filing date: 2018-10-29
Publication date: 2020-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2038-10-29
Also published as: US20190150010A1; US10743204B2; CN111448824B; US20210029570A1; US11553364B2; WO2019091294A1

Abstract

A method for reporting beam information comprises the following steps: user Equipment (UE) sets a report type of a beam information report, wherein the beam information report comprises a beam index of a communication beam being reported, a reference beam quality metric of one reported communication beam and a report type field indicating the report type; and the UE sending the beam information report to an access node.

Description

System and method for reporting beam information

This application claims priority to U.S. non-provisional application serial No. 16/001,652 entitled "system and method for reporting beam information" filed on 6/2018, which in turn claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 62/584,368 entitled "system and method for reporting beam information" filed on 11/10/2017, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to a system and method for digital communication and, in particular embodiments, to a system and method of reporting beam information.

Background

One possible deployment scenario for a New Radio (NR) system architecture for the fifth Generation (5th Generation, abbreviated as 5G) uses High Frequency (HF) (6 gigahertz (GHz) and above, e.g., millimeter wave (mmWave)) operating frequencies to take advantage of the greater available bandwidth and produce less interference rather than the bandwidth available on congested low frequencies. However, path loss is an important issue. Beamforming can be used to overcome high path loss. Beamforming uses directional beams to increase signal gain in transmission or reception to compensate for path loss.

Beam information such as beam quality information (e.g., Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), received signal strength, signal to noise ratio (SNR), signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), etc.), beam failure information, etc. is available in beamforming communications. For example, beam quality information may be used for beam selection or beam refinement, while beam failure information may be used for beam failure detection or recovery.

Therefore, a system and method for reporting beam information is needed.

Disclosure of Invention

Exemplary embodiments provide a system and method for reporting beam information.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method for reporting beam information is provided. The method comprises the following steps: user Equipment (UE) sets a report type of a beam information report, wherein the beam information report comprises a beam index of a communication beam being reported, a reference beam quality metric of one reported communication beam and a report type field indicating the report type; and the UE sending the beam information report to an access node.

Optionally, in any of the above embodiments, the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a communication beam of a regular communication beam for which the beam quality metric is the largest, and the partial beam failure report message includes a first beam index of the regular communication beam and a second beam index of a failed communication beam.

Optionally, in any of the above embodiments, the partial beam failure report message further includes a first beam quality metric associated with the regular communication beam.

Optionally, in any of the above embodiments, the first beam quality metric is relative to the reference beam quality metric.

Optionally, in any one of the above embodiments, each of the first beam quality metrics is relative to one of the reference beam quality metrics or one of the first beam quality measurements.

Optionally, in any of the above embodiments, the partial beam failure report message further includes additional beam quality metrics associated with regular communication beams of the regular communication beams except for the communication beam with the largest beam quality metric.

Optionally, in any of the above embodiments, the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is an all beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to the candidate communication beam, and the all beam failure report message includes a beam index of the candidate communication beam.

Optionally, in any of the above embodiments, the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to one of the regular communication beams having a largest beam quality metric, and the partial beam failure report message further includes additional beam quality metrics associated with regular communication beams other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric.

Optionally, in any of the above embodiments, the partial beam report message further includes additional beam quality metrics associated with regular communication beams of the regular communication beams except for the communication beam with the largest beam quality metric.

Optionally, in any of the above embodiments, the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure including a partial beam report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to one of the regular communication beams having a largest beam quality metric, and the partial beam failure including the partial beam report message further includes a first beam index with a regular communication beam other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric and a second beam index with a failed communication beam.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a UE is provided. The UE includes: the apparatus includes a memory containing instructions, and one or more processors in communication with the memory. The one or more processors perform the execution to: setting a report type of a beam information report, wherein the beam information report comprises a beam index of a communication beam being reported, a reference beam quality metric of one of the reported communication beams, and a report type field indicating the report type; and transmitting the beam information report to an access node.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer instructions stored thereon is provided. The computer instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: setting a report type of a beam information report, wherein the beam information report comprises a beam index of a communication beam being reported, a reference beam quality metric of one of the reported communication beams, and a report type field indicating the report type; and transmitting the beam information report.

The implementation of the above embodiment enables a single Uplink Control Information (UCI) format to be used for reporting a plurality of different types of beam information. In addition, reporting the beam information using a single UCI format is beneficial to reducing signaling overhead associated with reporting different types of beam information. The reduction in signaling overhead helps to increase the overall communication overhead.

Drawings

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 illustrates an example wireless communication system provided by example embodiments described herein;

FIG. 2 illustrates a communication system highlighting an exemplary channel structure between an access node and a UE in accordance with exemplary embodiments described herein;

fig. 3 illustrates a diagram of communications and processing performed by devices participating in beam information reporting according to an example embodiment described herein;

fig. 4 illustrates a flowchart of example operations performed by a UE reporting beam information in accordance with example embodiments described herein;

fig. 5 illustrates an example beam information report frame for reporting beam quality information in accordance with example embodiments described herein;

figure 6A illustrates a table containing exemplary RSRP measurement values and indices corresponding to different RSRP measurement values according to an exemplary embodiment described herein;

figure 6B illustrates a table containing exemplary differential RSRP values and indices corresponding to different D-RSRP values according to an exemplary embodiment described herein;

fig. 7 illustrates an example format of a reporting partial beam failure beam information report in accordance with an example embodiment described herein;

fig. 8A illustrates a first example format for reporting a beam information report for all beam failures in accordance with example embodiments described herein;

fig. 8B illustrates a second example format for reporting a beam information report for all beam failures in accordance with example embodiments described herein;

fig. 9 illustrates an example format for reporting fewer beams than configured beams for beam information according to example embodiments described herein;

fig. 10 illustrates an example format for reporting partial beam failures and beam information reports for fewer beams than configured beams in accordance with example embodiments described herein;

fig. 11 illustrates a flowchart of example operations performed by a UE generating and transmitting beam information reports according to example embodiments described herein;

fig. 12 illustrates a flowchart of example operations performed by an access node receiving and processing beam report information in accordance with the example embodiments described herein;

FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary communication system provided by example embodiments described herein;

14A and 14B illustrate example devices provided by the present disclosure that may implement the methods and concepts;

fig. 15 is a block diagram of a processing system that may be used to implement the apparatus and methods disclosed herein.

Detailed Description

The making and using of embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated that many of the applicable inventive concepts provided by the present invention can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system 100. The communication system 100 includes an access node 105 serving User Equipment (UE) 115. In a first mode of operation, communications are conducted with the UE 115 through the access node 105. In a second mode of operation, the access node 105 does not communicate with the UE 115 through the access node 105, but the access node 105 typically allocates resources for the UE 115 to communicate with. An access node may also be generally referred to as an evolved NodeB (eNB), a base station, a NodeB, a master eNB (MeNB), a secondary eNB (SeNB), a Next Generation (NG) base station (gNB), a master gNB (MgNB), a secondary gNB (SgNB), a Remote Radio Head (RRH), an access point, etc., and a UE may also be generally referred to as a mobile station, a terminal, a user, a subscriber, a station, etc. A Transmission Point (TP) may refer to any network entity capable of transmitting. Similarly, a transmission-reception point (TRP) is a network entity capable of transmitting and receiving, and generally refers to an access node, eNB, gNB, base station, NodeB, MeNB, SeNB, MgNB, SgNB, remote radio head, and access point. In some cases, the UE (and similar devices) may also operate as a TRP.

It will be appreciated that the communication system may employ a plurality of access nodes capable of communicating with a plurality of UEs. For simplicity, only one access node and one UE are shown.

As previously mentioned, path loss is high in communication systems operating at High Frequency (HF) (6 gigahertz (GHz) and above, e.g., millimeter wave (mmWave)) operating frequencies, and beamforming may be used to overcome the high path loss. As shown in fig. 1, the access node 105 and the UE 115 both communicate using beamformed transmission and reception. For example, the access node 105 communicates using multiple communication

beams including beams

110 and 112, and the UE 115 communicates using multiple communication

beams including beams

120 and 122.

The beams may be a predefined set of beamforming weights in the context of codebook-based precoding or a dynamically defined set of beamforming weights in the context of non-codebook-based precoding (e.g., Eigen-based beamforming, EBB). The beam may also be a predefined set of phase-shifting pre-processors that include signals from an antenna array in the Radio Frequency (RF) domain. It should be understood that a UE may transmit an uplink signal and receive a downlink signal by means of codebook-based precoding, while a TRP may form certain radiation patterns by means of non-codebook based precoding to transmit a downlink signal or receive an uplink signal.

Fig. 2 illustrates a communication system 200 highlighting an exemplary channel structure between an access node 205 and a UE 210. In a bi-directional communication implementation, there is a downlink channel 220 and an uplink channel 230 between the access node 205 and the UE 210. Both the downstream channel 220 and the upstream channel 230 may include a plurality of unidirectional channels. As shown in fig. 2, the downlink channel 220 includes a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) 222, a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) 224, and the like, and the uplink channel 230 includes a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) 232, a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) 234, and the like.

The beam measurement and reporting mechanism is discussed in the third Generation Partnership Project (3rd Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP) RAN1#90b conference. Some of the following agreements are reached:

how to configure Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) resources in a resource configuration for beam management;

-reporting a layer 1 (L1) RSRP metric on the configured resources, and

-for non-packet based beam reporting by the UE, providing support for the following reporting parameters:

-the maximum number of configured transmit (Tx) beams for beam measurement is K, where K is 64;

-the maximum number of configured Tx beams to be reported is N _ max in one example, where N _ max is 2 or 4, where a subset of N beams (N ≦ N _ max, e.g., N ≦ 1, 2, 3, 4) may be selected by the access node and sent to the UE;

when reporting multiple beams in a single reporting instance, using a differential L1-RSRP value, e.g. differential L1-RSRP references the maximum L1-RSRP reported in the reporting instance, differential L1-RSRP may also have other potential references;

-L1-RSRP will be reported in a 7-bit wide domain with values ranging from-140 dBm to-44 dBm with a step size of 1dB, and the difference L1-RSRP will be reported in a 4-bit wide domain, the step size of L1-RSRP being to be studied further.

In the 3GPP RAN1#90b conference, a mechanism for reporting beam failure using PUCCH is also discussed. Some of the following agreements are reached:

-5G NR supports reuse of existing periodic PUCCH based beam reporting for reporting beam-to-link failures.

-in the first case (case 1) reporting the failed PDCCH beam index information or newly identified beam information and its associated L1-RSRP when a subset of PDCCH beams fails.

-in the second case (case 2) reporting a newly identified beam index (e.g. SSB index or CSI-RS resource identity) and its associated L1-RSRP when a beam failure is detected.

-which case the UE reports in one reporting instance.

Note that there is agreement on normal beam reporting using periodic PUCCH channels (3GPP RAN1#90b conference). It should also be noted that no new UCI format should be introduced. It should be further noted that the UE may semi-statically configure a beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) transmitted using one or two PUCCH resources and a non-contention PRACH resource. If two resources are configured, how to choose between the two resources (PUCCH or PRACH) may depend on the implementation of the UE.

Fig. 3 shows a diagram 300 of communications and processing performed by devices participating in beam information reporting. The diagram 300 illustrates the communication and processing by an access node 305 and the UE 307 that is involved in reporting beam information between the access node 305 and the UE 307.

The access node 305 configures a beam information report for the UE 307 (event 310). The access node 305 transmits a reference signal in the configured resources (event 312). The reference signal assists the UE 307 in measurements (block 314). The UE 307 sends a beam information report (event 316).

More than one situation may be that the UE reports the beam information through the PUCCH, where the beam information may include:

-reporting beam measurement information of all allocated beams;

-reporting beam measurement information for a subset of all allocated beams;

-partial beam failure reporting;

-total beam failure reporting.

However, the format of the frame carrying the beam information varies from case to case, and only many different types of UCI formats are required. Too many different UCI formats typically increase resolution complexity at the access node and have additional signaling overhead associated with the need to transmit more different UCI formats.

Fig. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of example operations 400 performed by a UE reporting beam information. The operation 400 may be an indication of an operation performed by the UE when the UE reports the beam information.

The operations 400 begin with the UE receiving a beam information reporting configuration from an access node (block 405). The UE receives a reference signal sent by the access node (block 407) and measures a channel between the access node and the UE based on the received reference signal (block 409). The UE generates a beam information report (block 411) and sends the beam information report (block 413). The beam information report may be sent in a frame, a message, or a combination thereof. The beam information report and the transmission mode thereof may be configured according to the beam information report received from the access node.

The beam information report generated by the UE may include one or more of: beam quality information reports for all allocated beams (block 417), beam measurement reports for a subset of all allocated beams (block 419), full beam failure reports (block 421), or partial beam failure reports (block 423).

Fig. 5 illustrates an example format of a beam information report 500 for reporting beam quality information. The beam information report may be transmitted and received in a beam information report frame. The beam information report may also be sent in a beam information report message. Accordingly, discussion of frames or messages should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of the exemplary embodiments. In case that N (N >1) beams are allocated for beam reporting, the beam information report at least comprises:

-N Beam Index (BI) fields, the size of which may depend on the number of possible beams to be reported, e.g. if there are 16 beams in total, the size of each of the BI fields may be 4 bits, although other values are possible;

-N beam quality fields;

-a reference RSRP (R-RSRP) field of size 7 bits, for example corresponding to the maximum beam of RSRP, although other values are possible; and

n-1 differential RSRP (D-RSRP) fields, e.g., each field is 4 bits in size, although other values are possible.

It should be noted that although the focus of the discussion is on the beam quality field indicating the RSRP value, the exemplary embodiments shown herein may be used to indicate other types of beam quality information, such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), etc. Accordingly, the discussion regarding RSRP should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of the exemplary embodiments.

As shown in fig. 5, the beam information report 500 includes a first beam index (BI _0) field 505 containing a beam index of a best (e.g., largest) beam for RSRP and an R-RSRP field 507 containing a beam quality information value. The beam information report 500 further comprises a second beam index (BI _1) field 510 and a D-RSRP field 512, wherein the second beam index field 510 contains a beam index of a first beam whose RSRP is not the best RSRP, and the D-RSRP field 512 contains a beam quality information value of the first beam referring to the beam quality information value contained in the R-RSRP field 507. The beam information report 500 includes up to N-2 additional beam index fields, e.g., a third beam index (BI _ N-1) field 515 containing the beam index of the N-1 th beam whose RSRP is not the best RSRP and a D-RSRP field 517 containing the beam quality information value of the N-1 th beam that refers to the beam quality information value contained in the R-RSRP field 507.

It is noted that the beam information report 500 is shown with alternating beam index values and beam quality information values, e.g., RSRP (R-RSRP or D-RSRP) values. However, other permutations of beam index values and beam quality information values are possible. For example, the beam index value is presented first, and then the beam quality information value is presented; or, the beam quality information value is presented first, and then the beam index value is presented. Further, the beam quality information values of the first beam to the N-1 beams may be arranged from large to small or from small to large according to the value of RSRP, or may be arranged from large to small or from small to large according to the value of beam index. The beam information report 500 is shown for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope or spirit of the exemplary embodiments.

It is noted that if more than one beam is allocated for beam information reporting and information indicating a specific beam information reporting type is required, a beam quality field (e.g., an R-RSRP field or a D-RSRP field) may be used to indicate the specific beam information reporting type. However, since the size of the beam quality field is not small, using the beam quality field to indicate the specific beam information report type may cause a waste of resources. It is therefore desirable that the beam quality field can be used to indicate the particular beam information reporting type, but it is also desirable to minimize the overhead associated with information transmission.

According to an example embodiment, a field in a beam information report is used to indicate a beam information report type of the beam information report. As described below, the field of the third field type indicates a beam information report type of the beam information report. When a beam information report is set to report beam information for more than one beam, the beam information report includes at least three information fields:

-a first field type representing a beam index, wherein the first field type has more than one field;

-a second field type representing a reference beam quality, wherein there is only one field of the second field type per beam information report;

-a third field type representing a differential beam quality with reference to (relative to) said reference beam quality or other beam qualities, wherein there are one or more fields of the third field type, which are also used to indicate different beam information reporting types. For example, a first third field includes differential beam quality values relative to the reference beam quality, and a second third field includes differential beam quality values relative to other third fields (e.g., the first third field).

For another example, when the beam information report is configured to report beam information for more than one beam, the beam information report includes more than one beam quality field, wherein

-at least two different bit widths of the beam quality field, wherein a first bit width of the first beam quality field type is larger than a second bit width of the second beam quality field type;

-a second bit width of the second beam quality field type is used to indicate a different beam information reporting type.

To simplify the discussion of the exemplary embodiments, the following assumptions are made, but other values are also supported:

-the number of beams allocated for beam information reporting is N, wherein N > 1;

-the beam information report comprises at least N fields representing beam indices (i.e. BI fields);

-the beam information report comprises at least one field representing a reference beam quality (i.e. R-RSRP field);

-the beam information report comprises at least N-1 fields representing differential beam quality (i.e. D-RSRP fields).

Similarly, the assumption can be expressed in bit width:

-if the number of beams allocated for beam information reporting is N, where N >1,

-the beam report comprises at least N fields representing beam indices (i.e. BI fields);

-the beam report comprises at least N fields representing beam quality, wherein the beam quality fields have two different bit widths;

-there is at least one beam quality field having a first bit width (i.e. R-RSRP field);

there is at most a beam quality field with a second bit width of N-1 (i.e., a D-RSRP field).

Wherein the first bit width is greater than the second bit width.

According to one exemplary embodiment, in the event of a partial beam failure of K regular beams and M failed beams, where 1 ≦ K < N, 1 ≦ M < N, K + M ═ N, the differential beam quality field (e.g., D-RSRP field) set to a specified value indicates a single failed beam. In one embodiment, each BI field represents a beam index for a regular beam (an un-failed beam) or a failed beam. In one embodiment, the reference beam quality field (e.g., R-RSRP field) represents the beam quality of at least one regular beam and the K-1 differential beam quality fields (e.g., D-RSRP fields) represent the differential beam quality of the K-1 remaining regular beams. In one embodiment, the M differential quality fields (e.g., D-RSRP fields) represent the M failed beams by indicating a predetermined value.

It is noted that there may be only one reference beam quality field in the beam information report, e.g. representing the beam quality of the regular beam with the largest RSRP value. It is noted that the predetermined value indicating the beam failure may be set to a maximum value that the differential beam quality field can represent. For example, if the length of the differential beam quality field is 4 bits, the predetermined value is 15 (2)⁴-1). It is to be noted that the predetermined value may be set to a minimum value that the differential beam quality field can represent. Other values may be used to indicate beam failure.

The value stored in the reference beam quality field may be an index to a table of possible beam quality measurement values, e.g., RSRP values. Fig. 6A shows a table 600 containing exemplary RSRP measurement values and indices for different RSRP measurement values. A first column 605 represents the R-RSRP value index, a second column 610 represents the RSRP measurement value corresponding to a particular R-RSRP value index, and a third column 615 represents the unit of the RSRP measurement value, e.g., dBm. For example, a first value 620 represents an index of 0, corresponding to an RSRP measurement less than-140 dBm, and a second value 622 represents an index of 1, corresponding to an RSRP measurement between-140 dBm and-139 dBm. Similarly, a third value 624 represents an index 96, corresponding to RSRP measurement values between-45 dBm and-44 dBm. It should be noted that the indices and RSRP measurement values shown in table 600 are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope or spirit of the exemplary embodiments.

The value stored in the differential beam quality field may also be an index into a table of possible differential beam quality values (e.g., differential RSRP values) that reference a reference beam quality value (e.g., R-RSRP value). Fig. 6B shows a table 650 containing exemplary differential RSRP values and indices corresponding to different D-RSRP values. A first column 655 represents the D-RSRP value index, a second column 660 represents the D-RSRP value corresponding to a particular D-RSRP value index, and a third column 665 represents the unit of the D-RSRP value, e.g., dB. For example, a first value 670 represents an index of 0, corresponding to a D-RSRP value less than X (e.g., an R-RSRP measurement), which is a step size of the D-RSRP value, a second value 672 represents an index of 1, corresponding to a D-RSRP value greater than X by less than 2X, and a third value 674 represents an index of 14, corresponding to a D-RSRP value greater than 14X by less than 15X. A fourth value 676 represents an index of 15, corresponding to a beam failure. In other words, the index 15 is the predetermined value.

Again, while the focus of the discussion is RSRP as the beam quality information indicated in the beam quality field, the exemplary embodiments shown herein may operate with other types of beam quality information such as RSRQ, SNR, SINR, RSSI, and the like. Accordingly, the discussion regarding RSRP should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of the exemplary embodiments.

Fig. 7 illustrates an example format of a beam information report 700 reporting partial beam failures. The beam information report 700 reports beam information for the following cases: the number of beams reported by each beam information is 3, the number of regular beams K is 2, and the number of failed beams M is 1. Example beam indices and RSRP measurements for each beam are:

BI _ first beam 5; RSRP _ first beam-90.5 dBm { regular beam };

BI _ second beam 3; RSRP _ second beam-100.5 dBm { regular beam };

BI _ third beam 2; RSRP _ third beam-120 dBm { failure beam }.

As shown in fig. 7, the beam information report 700 includes:

-BI _0 field 705 ═ 5; R-RSRP field 710 ═ 49, corresponding to RSRP between-91 dBm and-90 dBm;

-BI _1 field 715 ═ 3; D-RSRP _1 field 720 ═ J, corresponding to J X ≦ 10 and (J +1) × 10, where J is the step multiple;

the BI _2 field 725 ═ 2; the D-RSRP _2 field 730 is 15, indicating a beam failure.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the beam information report indicates a total beam failure and indicates at least one candidate beam for beam failure recovery in case of a total beam failure. In a first embodiment, the first BI field indicates a beam index of the candidate beam and the first beam quality (e.g., R-RSRP) field indicatesA beam quality of the candidate beam, a second beam quality (e.g., D-RSRP) field is set to a predetermined value to indicate a total beam failure. In a second embodiment, a first BI field and a second BI field indicate beam indices of candidate beams (where the first BI field and the second BI field indicate the same value), a first beam quality (e.g., R-RSRP) field indicates beam quality of the candidate beams, and a second beam quality (e.g., D-RSRP) field is set to a predetermined value to indicate total beam failure. For example, the predetermined value indicative of all beams failed is the same as the predetermined value indicative of failed beams. It is noted that the predetermined value indicating all beam failures may be set to a maximum value that the D-RSRP field can represent. For example, if the length of the D-RSRP field is 4 bits, the predetermined value indicating full beam failure is 15 (2)⁴-1). It is noted that the predetermined value may be set to the minimum value that the D-RSRP field can represent.

Fig. 8A illustrates a first example format of a beam information report 800 reporting an all beam failure. The beam information report 800 is in accordance with a first embodiment of the exemplary embodiments for reporting total beam failures. The beam information report 800 reports beam information for the following situations: the number of beams reported by each beam information, N, is 2, and all beam failures have occurred. The UE has identified a New Beam Index (NBI) — 5 candidate beam whose measured RSRP is-90.5 dBm.

As shown in fig. 8A, the beam information report 800 includes:

-BI _0 field 805 ═ 5; R-RSRP field 810-49, corresponding to an RSRP between-91 dBm to-90 dBm;

a BI _1 field 815 — don't care, DC for short; the D-RSRP _1 field 820 ═ 15, indicates a full beam failure.

Fig. 8B illustrates a second example format for reporting a beam information report 850 of all beam failures. The beam information report 850 is in accordance with a second embodiment of the exemplary embodiments for reporting total beam failures. The beam information report 850 reports beam information for the following cases: the number of beams reported by each beam information, N, is 2, and all beam failures have occurred. The UE has identified a candidate beam with NBI-5 whose measured RSRP-90.5 dBm.

As shown in fig. 8B, the beam information report 850 includes:

-BI _0 field 855 ═ 5; R-RSRP field 860 ═ 49, corresponding to RSRP between-91 dBm and-90 dBm;

-BI _1 field 865 ═ 5; a D-RSRP _1 field 870-15, which indicates a full beam failure by repeating the beam index of the candidate beam.

According to an exemplary embodiment, in case that the number of beams that the UE needs to report is less than the number of configured beams that need to be reported in a single beam information report, the beam information report includes a repeated beam index field, and an associated beam quality (e.g., D-RSRP) field is set to a predetermined value to indicate that no additional beams need to be reported. As an illustrative example, consider the following case: the access node configures the UE to report N beams per beam information report, but the UE only needs to report K beams (K < N) in a particular beam information report. Exemplary beam information reports may include:

-K BI fields representing the beam index of a regular beam or a failed beam;

-an R-RSRP field representing the beam quality of one regular beam, e.g. the regular beam with the largest RSRP metric;

-K-1D-RSRP fields representing beam quality of the remaining K-1 beams referring to the regular beams indicated in the R-RSRP field;

-a K + 1-th BI field obtained by copying one of the K BI fields, the D-RSRP field associated with the K + 1-th BI field being set to: i) a predetermined value to indicate that no additional beams need to be reported, or ii) the same value as the beam quality field associated with the K BI fields replicating the K +1 BI fields.

It is noted that the predetermined value for indicating that no additional beams need to be reported may be 0. It is noted that this is used to indicate that there are no additional beamsThe predetermined value to be reported may be the same as a value representing the beam quality of a beam having a duplicated beam index. It should be noted that the K +1 th BI may copy the beam index of the beam with the best beam quality, and the D-RSRP field associated with the K +1 th BI field is set to 0. It should be noted that the K +1 th BI may copy a beam index of any one of the K beams (i.e., copy any one of the K BI fields), and the D-RSRP field associated with the K +1 th BI field is set to 0. It is noted that the K +1 BI field may copy a beam index of a jth beam (2 ≦ j ≦ K), and the D-RSRP field associated with the K +1 BI field may also copy the D-RSRP field associated with the jth BI field. It should be noted that the K +1 th BI field may copy the K-th BI field, and the D-RSRP field associated with the K +1 th BI field may also copy the D-RSRP field of the K-th BI field. Thus, the kth beam and the K +1 th beam have the same beam index and beam quality, indicating that no more beams are present. It is noted that the predetermined value indicating all beam failures or beam failures may be set to the maximum value that the D-RSRP field can represent. For example, if the length of the D-RSRP field is 4 bits, the predetermined value for indicating full beam failure or beam failure is 15 (2)⁴–1)。

Fig. 9 illustrates an example format of a beam information report 900 reporting fewer beams than configured beams. The beam information report 900 reports beam information for the following situations: the number of beams N reported by each beam information is 3, and the number of beams K to be reported is 2. Example beam indices and RSRP measurements for each beam are:

BI _ first beam 5; RSRP _ first beam-90.5 dBm;

BI _ second beam 3; RSRP _ second beam-100.5 dBm.

As shown in fig. 9, the beam information report 900 includes:

the BI _0 field 905 is 5; R-RSRP field 910 ═ 49, corresponding to RSRPs between-91 dBm and-90 dBm;

the BI _1 field 915 ═ 3; D-RSRP _1 field 920 ═ J, corresponding to J X ≦ 10 and (J +1) × 10, where J is the step multiple;

the BI _2 field 925 ═ 3; the combination of the repetition of the beam index of the beam indicated in the BI _1 field 915 and the D-RSRP _2 field 930 set to J indicates that no additional beams need to be reported and that the beam quality of these beams (the beams of the BI _1 field 915 and the BI _2 field 925) is the same.

According to an exemplary embodiment, in case of partial beam failure and no additional beams needing to be reported, the beam information report indicates a regular beam and a failed beam, and a repeated beam index of any one of the beams and an associated D-RSRP value set to a predetermined value to indicate that no additional beams need to be reported. As one illustrative example, consider the case where there are K regular beams and M failed beams, where 1 ≦ K < N, 1 ≦ M < N, and K + M < N, then examples of beam information reporting may include:

-K BI fields representing the beam index of the conventional beam;

-K-1D-RSRP fields representing beam quality of K-1 beams referring to regular beams indicated in the R-RSRP field;

-M BI fields representing the beam index of the failed beam;

-M D-RSRP fields set to a predetermined value for indicating a failed beam of the M failed beams;

-copying at least one repeated BI field of any of the K regular beams or the M failed beams;

-at least one D-RSRP field associated with the repeated BI field set to a predetermined value indicating that no additional beams need to be reported.

It is noted that the repeated BI field may duplicate the beam index of the conventional beam with the smallest beam quality value to indicate that no more beams need to be reported. It is to be noted that the repetitionThe BI field may duplicate the beam index of the failed beam to indicate that no more beams need to be reported. It is noted that the predetermined value for indicating that no additional beams need to be reported may be the same as the value for indicating the beam quality of the beam with the replicated beam index. It should be noted that the K + M +1 BI field may be set to 0, and the K + M +1 BI field may copy the beam index of the beam with the best beam quality. It should be noted that the K + M +1 th BI may copy a beam index of any one of the K beams (i.e., copy any one of the K BI fields), and the D-RSRP field associated with the K + M +1 th BI field is set to 0. It should be noted that the K + M +1 BI field may copy a beam index of a jth beam (2 ≦ j ≦ K), and the D-RSRP field associated with the K + M +1 BI field may also copy the D-RSRP field associated with the jth BI field. It should be noted that the K + M +1 BI field may copy the K BI field, and the D-RSRP field associated with the K + M +1 BI field may also copy the D-RSRP field of the K BI field. It is noted that the K +1 th BI field replicates the beam index of the failed beam and the D-RSRP field associated with the K +1 th BI field sets a predetermined value to indicate beam failure. It should be noted that the K + M +1 th BI field may copy the K + M th BI field, and the D-RSRP field associated with the K + M +1 th BI field may also copy the D-RSRP field of the K + M BI field. It is noted that the K + M +1 BI field may duplicate the beam index of the jth beam (K +1 ≦ j ≦ K + M), and the D-RSRP field associated with the K + M +1 BI field may be set to a predetermined value to indicate a beam failure. It is noted that the predetermined value indicating all beam failures or beam failures may be set to the maximum value that the D-RSRP field can represent. For example, if the length of the D-RSRP field is 4 bits, the predetermined value for indicating full beam failure or beam failure is 15 (2)⁴–1)。

Fig. 10 illustrates an example format of a beam information report 1000 reporting partial beam failures and fewer beams than configured beams. The beam information report 1000 reports beam information for the following situations: the number of beams reported by each beam information is 3, the number of regular beams K is 1, and the number of failed beams M is 1. Example beam indices and RSRP measurements for each beam are:

BI _ first beam 5; RSRP _ first beam-90.5 dBm { regular beam };

BI _ second beam 3; RSRP _ second beam-100.5 dBm { failure beam }.

As shown in fig. 10, the beam information report 1000 includes:

BI _0 field 1005 ═ 5; R-RSRP field 1010-49, corresponding to an RSRP between-91 dBm to-90 dBm;

the BI _1 field 1015 ═ 3; D-RSRP _1 field 1020 — 15, indicating a failed beam;

b L _2 field 1025 is 3 and D-RSRP _2 field 1030 is 0, wherein the combination of repetition of the beam index for the beam indicated in the BI _1 field 1015 and the D-RSRP _2 field 1030 set to 0 indicates that no additional beams need to be reported.

It is noted that fig. 10 illustrates a single example format for beam information reporting. Other example formats for beam information reporting may also be used in this scenario. As a first illustrative example:

b L _2 field 1025-5, D-RSRP _2 field 1030-0, wherein the combination of the repetition of the beam index for the beam indicated in the BI _0 field 1005 and the D-RSRP _2 field 1030 set to 0 indicates that no additional beams need to be reported.

As a second illustrative example:

b L _2 field 1025 is 3 and D-RSRP _2 field 1030 is 15, wherein the combination of the repetition of the beam index for the beam indicated in the BI _1 field 1015 and the D-RSRP _2 field 1030 set to 15 indicates that no additional beams need to be reported.

Fig. 11 shows a flowchart of example operations 1100 performed by a UE generating and transmitting beam information reports. The operations 1100 may be an indication of operations performed by the UE when the UE generates and transmits beam information reports. The beam information report may be sent in a frame or message.

The operations 1100 begin with the UE receiving a beam information reporting configuration from an access node (block 1105). The beam information reporting configuration may specify the number of beams to report per beam information report, which resources the UE will use to send the beam information report, which resources the UE will use for channel measurements, a mapping of beam quality (e.g., R-RSRP) indices to beam quality (e.g., RSRP) measurement values, beam quality (e.g., D-RSRP) indices to beam quality (e.g., RSRP) measurement values and reference beam quality (e.g., RSRP) values, and so forth. The UE checks to determine if a partial beam failure occurs on the beam it is reporting in the beam information report (block 1107). If a partial beam failure occurs, the UE generates a beam information report, wherein the beam information report includes at least one beam index of the failed beam and a corresponding D-RSRP value indicating beam failure (block 1109). The UE transmits the beam information report (block 1125).

If no partial beam failure has occurred, the UE performs a check to determine if a full beam failure has occurred (block 1111). If an all beam failure has occurred, the UE generates a beam information report, wherein the beam information report includes information of candidate beams (e.g., beam indices and RSRP measurement values) and a D-RSRP value indicating an all beam failure (block 1113). The D-RSRP value may be associated with a beam index set as a beam index of a candidate beam, or the beam index is an unrelated value. The UE transmits the beam information report (block 1125).

If no full beam failure has occurred, the UE performs a check to determine if the UE is reporting beam information for less beams than the access node configured beams (block 1115). In other words, the UE checks to determine whether to report beam information for K beams, where K is less than N, which is the configured number of beams to be reported. If the number of beams reported by the UE is less than the configured number of beams, the UE generates a beam information report with beam information for the K beams and adds an additional beam index field that replicates a beam index of any of the K beams with beam information and an associated D-RSRP field set to a predetermined value indicating that no additional beams are reported (block 1117). The UE transmits the beam information report (block 1125).

If the UE is reporting beam information for the number of configured beams, the UE performs a check to determine if a partial beam failure has occurred and if the UE is reporting beam information for beams less than the access node configured beams (block 1119). If a partial beam failure occurs and the number of beams reported by the UE is less than the configured number of beams, the UE generates a beam information report including at least one beam index for the failed beam, a corresponding D-RSRP value indicating the beam failure, and an additional beam index field including a duplicate of the beam index already reported in the beam information report and a corresponding D-RSRP value indicating no additional beams reported (block 1121). The UE transmits the beam information report (block 1125).

If the UE does not report partial beam failure and does not report beam information for fewer than configured beams, the UE generates a beam information report for the number of configured beams (block 1123). The UE transmits the beam information report (block 1125).

Blocks

1107, 1111, 1115, and 1119 may be considered collectively as determining the type of beam information to include in the beam information report.

Fig. 12 shows a flow diagram of example operations 1200 performed by an access node receiving and processing beam report information. Operation 1200 may provide an indication of operations performed by an access node when the access node receives and processes beam report information.

Operations 1200 begin with the access node sending a beam information reporting configuration to a UE (block 1205). The beam information reporting configuration may specify the number of beams to report per beam information report, which resources the UE will use to send the beam information report, which resources the UE will use for channel measurements, which resources the UE will use to detect beam failure, a mapping of R-RSRP indices to RSRP measurement values, D-RSRP indices to differential RSRP measurement values and RSRP values, and so on. The access node receives a beam information report (block 1207).

The access node performs a check to determine whether the beam information report includes information indicating a total beam failure (block 1209). For example, the access node determines whether the beam information report includes information indicating a total beam failure by checking a beam information report type of the beam information report. The beam information report type is a field of a third field type of the beam information report, as previously described. If the beam information report includes information indicating a total beam failure, the access node determines that the UE has experienced a total beam failure and initiates beam failure recovery using the candidate beams indicated in the beam information report (block 1211).

If the beam information report does not include information indicating a full beam failure, the access node performs a check to determine whether the beam information report includes only information indicating a partial beam failure (block 1213). For example, the access node determines whether the beam information report includes information indicating a partial beam failure by examining a beam information report type of the beam information report. The check may determine whether the beam information report includes only information indicating partial beam failure and does not include any other special information, and the check may not determine whether the beam information report includes a beam index of a beam and an RSRP value associated with the beam. If the beam information report includes information indicating a partial beam failure, the access node processes beam information for beams that did not experience a beam failure (block 1215). The access node may process beam information for N-M beams if N is the number of beams configured for the beam information report and M is the number of beams failed.

If the beam information report does not include only information indicating a partial beam failure, the access node performs a check to determine whether the beam information report includes beam information indicating that the UE reports fewer beams than the access node configures (block 1217). For example, the access node determines whether the beam information report includes information indicating beam information for fewer beams than the access node configures by checking a beam information report type of the beam information report. If the beam information reported by the UE is less than the beam configured by the access node, the access node processes the beam information of the beam reported by the UE (block 1219). The access node may process information for K beams if K is the number of beams with beam information reported in the beam information report.

If the UE has not reported beam information for fewer beams than the access node configures, the access node performs a check to determine whether the beam information report includes information indicating a partial beam failure and information indicating that the UE reported beam information for fewer beams than the access node configures (block 1221). For example, the access node determines whether the beam information report includes information indicating a partial beam failure and information indicating that the UE reports beam information for fewer beams than the access node configures by checking a beam information report type of the beam information report. If the beam information report includes information indicating a partial beam failure and information indicating that the UE reported beam information for beams fewer than the beams configured by the access node, the access node processes the beam information for beams reported by the UE (block 1223). The access node may process information for K beams if K is the number of beams with reported beam information in the beam information report.

If the beam information report does not include information indicating partial beam failure and information indicating that the UE reported beam information for beams fewer than the beams configured by the access node, the access node processes the beam information for beams reported by the UE (block 1225). The access node may process information for N beams if N is the number of beams configured for the beam information report.

It should be noted that fig. 11 and 12 and the related discussion present the situation where partial beam failure, full beam failure, and no additional beams need to be reported are all potential events. However, the flow diagrams shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 can be easily modified to support situations where not all three events can occur. Thus, discussion of all three events that may occur in a scenario should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of the exemplary embodiments. As an illustrative example, blocks 1115, 1117, 1119, and 1121 of fig. 11 and

blocks

1217, 1219, 1221, and 1223 of fig. 12 may be omitted if the beam information report does not support reporting fewer beams than the configured number.

Fig. 13 illustrates an exemplary communication system 1300. In general, the system 1300 enables multiple wireless or wired users to transmit and receive data and other content. The system 1300 may implement one or more channel Access methods, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), single-carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), or non-orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA).

In this example, the communication system 1300 includes Electronic Devices (ED) 1310a through 1310c, Radio Access Networks (RAN) 1320a and 1330b, a core network 1330, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 1340, the internet 1350, and other networks 1360. Although fig. 13 shows a particular number of these components or elements, the system 1300 may include any number of these components or elements.

The EDs 1310 a-1310 c are configured to operate or communicate in the system 1300. For example, the EDs 1310 a-1310 c are used to transmit or receive over a wireless or wired communication channel. Each ED1310 a-1310 c represents any suitable end-user device and may include (or may be referred to as) such devices as a User Equipment (UE) or device, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), a mobile station, a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, a cellular phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a laptop computer, a touch pad, a wireless sensor, or a consumer electronics device.

Here

RANs

1320a and 1320b include

base stations

1370a and 1370b, respectively.

Base stations

1370a and 1370b are used to wirelessly connect with one or more of the EDs 1310 a-1310 c, respectively, to enable access to the core network 1330, the PSTN1340, the internet 1350, or the other networks 1360. For example, the

base stations

1370a and 1370b may include (or be) one or several well-known devices, such as a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), a NodeB (NodeB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a home NodeB, a home eNodeB, a site controller, an Access Point (AP), or a wireless router. The EDs 1310 a-1310 c are configured to connect to and communicate with the internet 1350, and may access the core network 1330, the PSTN1340, or the other networks 1360.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 13, the base station 1370a forms a portion of the RAN 1320a, where the RAN 1320a may include other base stations, elements, or devices. Further, the base station 1370b forms a portion of the RAN 1320b, wherein the RAN 1320b may include other base stations, elements, or devices. Each of the

base stations

1370a and 1370b operates to transmit or receive wireless signals, sometimes referred to as "cells," within a particular geographic area or region. In some embodiments, the application of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology may deploy multiple transceivers per cell.

The

base stations

1370a and 1370b communicate with one or more of the EDs 1310 a-1310 c over one or more air interfaces 1390 via wireless communication links. The air interface 1390 may use any suitable wireless access technology.

It is contemplated that the system 1300 may use multi-channel access functionality, including the schemes described above, in particular embodiments, the base stations and EDs implement L TE, L TE-a, or L TE-b.

The

RANs

1320a and 1320b communicate with the core network 1330 to provide Voice, data, applications, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or other services to the EDs 1310 a-1310 c. It is to be appreciated that the

RANs

1320a and 1320b or the core network 1330 can communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown). The core network 1330 may also serve as a gateway access for other networks, such as the PSTN1340, the internet 1350, and the other networks 1360. Further, some or all of the EDs 1310 a-1310 c may include functionality to communicate with different wireless networks over different wireless links via different wireless technologies or protocols. The EDs may communicate without (or in addition to) wireless communication via a wired communication channel to a service provider or switch (not shown) and to the internet 1350.

Although fig. 13 shows one example of a communication system, fig. 13 may have many variations. For example, the communication system 1300 may include any number of EDs, base stations, networks, or other devices in any suitable configuration.

Fig. 14A and 14B illustrate example devices that may implement the methods and concepts provided by the present disclosure. In particular, fig. 14A shows an example of ED 1410, and fig. 14B shows an example of base station 1470. These components may be used in the system 1300 or any other suitable system.

As shown in fig. 14A, the ED 1410 includes at least one processing unit 1400. The processing unit 1400 implements various processing operations of the ED 1410. For example, the processing unit 1400 may perform signal coding, data processing, power control, input or output processing, or any other functionality that enables the ED 1410 to operate in the system 1300. The processing unit 1400 also supports the methods and concepts detailed above. Each processing unit 1400 includes any suitable processing or computing device for performing one or more operations. For example, each processing unit 1400 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, field programmable gate array, or application specific integrated circuit.

The ED 1410 also includes at least one transceiver 1402. The transceiver 1402 is used to modulate data or other content for transmission over at least one antenna or NIC (network interface controller, NIC for short) 1404. The transceiver 1402 is also configured to demodulate data or other content received by the at least one antenna 1404. Each transceiver 1402 includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission or for processing signals received wirelessly or wired. Each antenna 1404 includes any suitable structure for transmitting or receiving wireless or wired signals. One or more transceivers 1402 may be used in the ED 1410, and one or more antennas 1404 may be used in the ED 1410. Although shown as a single functional unit, the transceiver 1402 may also be implemented using at least one transmitter and at least one separate receiver.

The ED 1410 also includes one or more input or output devices 1406 or interfaces (e.g., a wired interface to the internet 1350). The input or output devices 1406 facilitate interaction (network communication) with users or other devices in the network. Each input or output device 1406 includes any suitable structure for providing information to or receiving information from a user, such as a speaker, microphone, dial, keyboard, display, or touch screen, which is also used for network interface communications.

Further, the ED 1410 includes at least one memory 1408. The memory 1408 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by the ED 1410. For example, the memory 1408 may store software or firmware instructions executed by the processing unit 1400 and data used to reduce or eliminate interference in the input signal. Each memory 1408 comprises any suitable volatile or non-volatile storage and retrieval device. Any suitable type of memory may be used, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, memory stick, Secure Digital (SD) memory card, and the like.

As shown in fig. 14B, the base station 1470 includes at least one processing unit 1450, at least one transceiver 1452 that includes functionality for a transmitter and receiver, one or more antennas 1456, at least one memory 1458, and one or more input or output devices or interfaces 1466. A scheduler is coupled to the processing unit 1450, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The scheduler may be included with the base station 1470 or may operate separate from the base station 1470. The processing unit 1450 performs various processing operations for the base station 1470, such as signal encoding, data processing, power control, input or output processing, or any other function. The processing unit 1450 may also support the methods and concepts detailed above. Each processing unit 1450 includes any suitable processing or computing device for performing one or more operations. For example, each processing unit 1450 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, field programmable gate array, or application specific integrated circuit.

Each transceiver 1452 includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission to one or more EDs or other devices. Each transceiver 1452 includes any suitable structure for processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly from one or more EDs or other devices. Although shown in combination as a transceiver 1452, the transmitter and receiver may be separate components. Each antenna 1456 includes any suitable structure for transmitting or receiving wireless or wired signals. Although a common antenna 1456 is shown here coupled to the transceiver 1452, one or more antennas 1456 may be coupled to the transceiver 1452. Thus, if the transmitter and the receiver are configured as separate components, a separate antenna 1456 may be coupled to the transmitter and the receiver. Each memory 1458 includes any suitable volatile or non-volatile storage and retrieval device. Each input or output device 1466 facilitates interaction (network communication) with users or other devices in the network. Each input or output device 1466 includes any suitable structure for providing information to a user or receiving or providing information from a user, including network interface communications.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a computing system 1500 that may be used to implement the apparatus and methods disclosed herein. For example, the computing system may be any entity in a UE, AN Access Network (AN), Mobility Management (MM), Session Management (SM), User Plane Gateway (UPGW), or Access Stratum (AS). A particular device may utilize all of the components shown or only a subset of the components, and the degree of integration between devices may vary. Further, a device may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processing units, processors, memories, transmitters, and receivers, among others. The computing system 1500 includes a processing unit 1502. The processing unit includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 1514 and memory 1508, and may also include a mass storage device 1504, a video adapter 1510, and an I/O interface 1512 connected to bus 1520.

The bus 1520 may be one or more of any type of several bus architectures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, or a video bus. The CPU 1514 may comprise any type of electronic data processor, and the memory 1508 may comprise any type of non-transitory system memory such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), read-only memory (ROM), or combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the memory 1508 may include ROM for use at boot-up and DRAM for program and data storage for use during program execution.

The mass memory 1504 may include any type of non-transitory storage device for storing data, programs, and other information and enabling access to the data, programs, and other information via the bus 1520. The mass storage 1504 may include, for example, one or more of a solid state disk, a hard disk drive, a magnetic disk drive, or an optical disk drive.

The video adapter 1510 and the I/O interface 1512 provide interfaces to couple external input and output devices to the processing unit. As shown, examples of input and output devices include a display 1510 coupled to the video adapter 1518, and a mouse, keyboard, or printer 1512 coupled to the I/O interface 1516. Other devices may be coupled to the processing unit 1502, and additional or fewer interface cards may be utilized. For example, the interface may be provided to the external device using a Serial interface such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) (not shown).

The processing unit 1502 also includes one or more network interfaces 1506, which may include wired links such as ethernet cables, and/or wireless links to access nodes or different networks. The network interface 1506 allows the processing unit 1502 to communicate with remote units over a network. For example, the network interface 1506 may provide wireless communication via one or more transmitters/transmit antennas and one or more receivers/receive antennas. In one embodiment, the processing unit 1502 is coupled to a local area network 1522 or a wide area network for data processing and communication with remote devices, such as other processing units, the internet, or remote storage facilities.

It should be understood that one or more steps of the embodiment methods provided herein may be performed by corresponding units or modules. For example, the signal may be transmitted by a transmission unit or a transmission module. The signal may be received by a receiving unit or a receiving module. The signals may be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Further steps may be performed by a determining unit or module, a setting unit or module or a processing unit or module. The individual units or modules may be hardware, software or a combination thereof. For example, one or more units or modules may be an integrated circuit, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for reporting beam information, the method comprising:

user Equipment (UE) sets a report type of a beam information report, wherein the beam information report comprises a beam index of a communication beam being reported, a reference beam quality metric of one reported communication beam and a report type field indicating the report type; and

the UE sends the beam information report to an access node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a communication beam of a regular communication beam for which the beam quality metric is largest, and wherein the partial beam failure report message comprises a first beam index of the regular communication beam and a second beam index of a failed communication beam.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the partial beam failure report message further comprises a first beam quality metric associated with the regular communication beam.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first beam quality metric is relative to the reference beam quality metric.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein each of the first beam quality metrics is relative to one of the reference beam quality metrics or one of the first beam quality metrics.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the partial beam failure report message further comprises additional beam quality metrics associated with conventional ones of the conventional communication beams other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is an all beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a candidate communication beam, and wherein the all beam failure report message comprises a beam index of the candidate communication beam.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a communication beam of a regular communication beam having a largest beam quality metric, and wherein the partial beam failure report message further comprises additional beam quality metrics associated with regular communication beams of the regular communication beam other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the partial beam report message further comprises additional beam quality metrics associated with conventional ones of the conventional communication beams other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure including a partial beam report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a communication beam of a regular communication beam having a largest beam quality metric, and wherein the partial beam failure including the partial beam report message further comprises a first beam index of a regular communication beam other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric and a second beam index of a failed communication beam.

11. A User Equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory containing instructions; and

one or more processors in communication with the memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to:

setting a report type of a beam information report, wherein the beam information report comprises a beam index of a communication beam being reported, a reference beam quality metric of one of the reported communication beams, and a report type field indicating the report type; and

transmitting the beam information report to an access node.

12. The UE of claim 11, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a communication beam of a regular communication beam for which the beam quality metric is largest, and wherein the partial beam failure report message comprises a first beam index for the regular communication beam and a second beam index for a failed communication beam.

13. The UE of claim 12, wherein the partial beam failure report message further comprises a first beam quality metric associated with the regular communication beam.

14. The UE of claim 12, wherein the partial beam failure report message further comprises additional beam quality metrics associated with regular communication beams of the regular communication beams other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric.

15. The UE of claim 11, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is an all beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a candidate communication beam, and wherein the all beam failure report message comprises a beam index of the candidate communication beam.

16. The UE of claim 11, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a communication beam of a regular communication beam having a largest beam quality metric, and wherein the partial beam failure report message further comprises additional beam quality metrics associated with regular communication beams of the regular communication beam other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric.

17. The UE of claim 16, wherein the partial beam report message further comprises additional beam quality metrics associated with conventional ones of the conventional communication beams other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric.

18. The UE of claim 11, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure including a partial beam report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a communication beam of a regular communication beam having a largest beam quality metric, and wherein the partial beam failure including a partial beam report message further comprises a first beam index with a regular communication beam of the regular communication beam except the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric and a second beam index with a failed communication beam.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

and sending the beam information report.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a communication beam of a regular communication beam for which the beam quality metric is the largest, and wherein the partial beam failure report message comprises a first beam index for the regular communication beam and a second beam index for a failed communication beam.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is an all beam failure report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a candidate communication beam, and wherein the all beam failure report message comprises a beam index of the candidate communication beam.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a communication beam of the regular communication beams having a largest beam quality metric, and wherein the partial beam report message further includes additional beam quality metrics associated with regular communication beams of the regular communication beams other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the report type field indicates that the beam information report message is a partial beam failure including a partial beam report message, wherein the reference beam quality metric corresponds to a communication beam of a regular communication beam having a largest beam quality metric, and wherein the partial beam failure including a partial beam report message further comprises a first beam index with a regular communication beam of the regular communication beam other than the communication beam having the largest beam quality metric and a second beam index of a failed communication beam.